The Big Picture

Ben seems to have it all, financially successful, with a bright wife and two lovely sons, but feels he is not living the creative life that appeals to him. And then, events take over.

A quarter of the way through I guessed how this would pan out, and am delighted that I got it so wrong.

A fascinating satire on the nature of artistic celebrity, and the perils of getting what you wish for.

Ben is an anti-hero, at times nerdily obsessive, materialistic, and always completely selfish, but Kennedy makes him understandable.

Felt very alienated by the gruesome pivotal scene, but I suppose this just added to the ambivalent feelings the reader is supposed to have about the protagonist.

I had never heard of Douglas Kennedy, and I am glad to have discovered him. This is a very readable novel about the nature of modern American success, alienation, suburban ennui, and cunning. The author also gives the reader a tour of professional photography and Wall Street law. The main character is very strongly realized, and those that orbit around him, are three-dimensional as well. You want to keep turning pages, but you also want to slow down to appreciate the high level of literacy and the descriptive passages. A very pleasant surprise.

A readable but unremarkable book. First half is quite interesting and suspenseful, then the plot changes direction and everything slows down to the point of boredom. The characters are unlikeable and wooden.

I was really impressed by Douglas Kennedy's second book, The Job. It was a great read but somehow I had gotten the impression it was his first novel. Wrong. The Big Picture is his first novel and it is also excellent. It's not quite as polished as The Job, but a good read nonetheless. Ben Bradford is a Wall Street estates and trusts attorney who makes excellent money. He has a lovely wife, a home in Connecticut, two small sons and a fun hobby. And from his vantage point, his life sucks. Somewhere along the way he made good choices that just weren't the right ones. And then he accidentally kills the guy his wife is having a fling with. Kennedy is a plot master. His stories move right along and pull the characters with them. Hope he's show more working on number 3. show less

So fast moving and suspenseful, I just could not put it down!
Gary always wanted to be a photographer, but instead he ended up a lawyer. When he finds out his wife is cheating on him with a guy he considers a deadbeat, but also happens to be a photographer, he's pretty upset. So upset, in fact, that he does something that will change his life forever.
That's about as much as I can tell you without revealing more than the back cover told me. I strongly recommend you pick this book up for yourself.
P.S. One small note: the author (or maybe just the narrator) seems extremely preoccupied with the prices of things. I don't think more than two pages went by that we weren't being told what something cost. At first it was a little distracting, show more but I began to see that it was an interesting way to tie some aspects of the narrator's life "before" and "after" together as well as show contrast. I ended up finding it quite interesting. show less

Ben Bradford is a successful Wall Street lawyer living a comfortable life: living in the affluent suburbs of Connecticut; married to a beautiful woman named Beth, father to two healthy, handsome little boys, with a partnership in a prestigious law firm. His life certainly seems enviable, but scratch the surface of Ben Bradford's ostensibly perfect life, and you'd find a deeply unhappy man - teetering on the precipice of a mid-life crisis. His job is an absolute snore; he'd much rather be at home, in his private darkroom, pursuing his true passion of photography. In fact, Ben is completely worn down by living the corporate daily grind, and Beth seems like she simply doesn't like him anymore.

Heartbroken by the sudden revelation that Beth show more is having an affair with the next door neighbor, Ben begins to panic. Desperate to keep his crumbling marriage together, he tries everything he can think of to reconcile with his wife. However, all his efforts at reconciliation are rebuffed; Beth wants a divorce. When an unexpected confrontation with his wife's lover suddenly turns ugly, a split second is all it takes to change Ben's life forever, leaving him with only one way out of his predicament. But if he takes it, there will be no turning back...

While this is the first book that I've ever read by Douglas Kennedy, I do have one more of his books sitting on my bookshelf. I absolutely loved The Big Picture by Douglas Kennedy - it was well-written, edgy and dramatic - in my opinion, just an overall thrilling story. I give this book an A+! show less

The central character, Ben Bradford, seems to have it all. A beautiful wife, a big suburban home, two kids and a partnership in a prestigious New York Wall Street Law Firm. But neither he nor his wife seem to understand that. Instead of enjoying and being grateful for what they have, they still pine for what could have been. He as a photographer and her as a novelist. His wife blames him for everything that has happened in their life. And he accepts that blame and lets it tear him up internally. This leads to a very tense household which seems to drive Ben into an early midlife crisis and his wife into the arms of a neighbor.

Ben finally confronts his wifes lover which unexpectantly turns ugly. We see how one impulsive act can change show more your life in an instance. And you are left with a decision. Do you stand up and face the consequences of your actions? Or do you run and hide, forever looking over your shoulder?

Once you start to read this book, you will want to keep reading until you finish it. I read it in one day. show less